A series of practice

[DArcy1]

This image may help the proportions. From Andrew Loomis "Drawing the head and hands"

D'Arcy

[korthuran]

Revision of the initial sketch

http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/2600/firstrevisedsketchgv9.jpg
By korthuran (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/korthuran) at 2008-10-11

I'm not 100% pleased with the horizontal positioning of the eyes but I'm not certain where the spacing problem is occuring.

[CybrGfx]

Your bigger problem at this point is your shading values on the LH side of the canvas. They are making it visually difficult to pinpoint what problems you may be having with the eyes, because they are pushing the eyes over to the right...Your skin shadings are splotchy and uneven, and are not helping your problems any.

~C

[CybrGfx]

Anatomically, the jaw of this female bothers me. If you are striving for an Animé style, kewl. If not, you need to enlarge and lower that bottom jaw to hold a full mouth of teeth. Do a Google Image Search for "female skull" and study the jaws. You should be able to see the difference easily enough.

~C

[korthuran]

Any tips for the shading? Using an animation pencil probably isn't helping but I've never had much formal instruction on shading and traditional media.

[CybrGfx]

Trying to look at this from as "realist" a view as possible, using this site (http://www.morphthing.com/celebrity/213236-Morph-of-Audrey-Hepburn-and-Keira-Knightley), You could say this face somewhat resembles a cross between Keira Knightly and Audrey Hepburn.
http://www.morphthing.com/showimage/2/0/0/213236/Audrey-Hepburn-and-Keira-Knightley.jpeg
Reversing it and comparing it to your sketch clarifies some of the anatomical issues that make this look off. It's not the jaw, as I thought, but more the eyes...
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/3863/facecc2.gif
~C

[korthuran]

It actually is Audrey Hepburn. You were right though that the jaw needed some improvement. I did a very close comparison of my reference and the drawing and it does need a little adjustment.

Looking at the eyes in that comparison and at my drawing and reference and I'm thinking I should bring the right eye up and in a little. Time to get cracking.

[korthuran]

Second Revision of the sketch.

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/2669/secondrevisedsketchzf3.jpg
By korthuran (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/korthuran)

Unless there's something glaring that I can't see because I've been looking at it so long I'll probably take it to Photoshop next.

*edit*

Wow...looking back at that first one...I can't believe I was even mildly pleased with that first one.

[CybrGfx]

Much improved. And yes, MUCH different from your first upload!

Glad you're happy with your progress.
~C

[korthuran]

I took it to Photoshop.

This is only my third digital painting, my first attempt at a painting of a person, and my first attempt trying it by painting a grey scale first. At least it will be a learning experience if nothing else.

Here's where I'm at so far. A long way to go but no more time tonight.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/7053/hepburnpainting02pu5.jpg

All crits welcome.

[korthuran]

A little bit further along.

http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/5412/ahepburn04uu0.jpg

Critiques more than welcome.

One question I had is on something I haven't yet reached but will soon. I want to avoid the over polished air brushed look if that makes sense. I'd like it to be a little more realistic, for lack of a better word, with the skin. Is there any specific method or exercise I can work on to develop the skill to do that?

[CybrGfx]

Yes, after you lay down your base color for the skin tone, reduce your opacity to 24-48%, and using a "speckle" brush (PS has a few, Sarsa's Hair Brushes are also a couple good ones), lay down your highlights and shadows, with the key word "gradual" foremost in your mind...Also throw in some "color swabs" with blues and yellows, and pinks and greens in areas of highlight and shadow. Although barely visible, they will help with a more realistic "tone" to the skin, as skin is not one even color. By using reduced opacities, bits of underlying color will seep through, and be blended with other tones.

It can be a bit time consuming when you are first learning the technique. As you improve, you will find yourself laying out more precise base tones,and using the technique to then fine tune the larger areas.

~C

[korthuran]

Makes sense. Thanks for the info. Time to take a break and find those brushes.

[korthuran]

Another two hours give or take a bit.

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/2167/ahepburn08nu4.jpg

Obviously still a long way to go here. I'm being pretty methodical about this one. I think after I'm done with this I'll focus on some speedpaintings to help get accustomed to this and increase my efficiency.

I know the shadows aren't even close to done and I'll likely have to go back over some areas to fix the contrasts but if anybody sees any areas that are blatantly wrong (as in the location of that shadow is completely wrong and not natural) then please let me know.

All critiques are wanted/welcome. :)

[CybrGfx]

You're fussing too much with it, and beating into a pulpy, barely recognizable mass.
Stop already.

Pretend this is a speed painting. Give yourself 1 hour to finish it, and GO!

You have no real plan on how to go about this, you are putzing a little here, putzing a little there, and not accomplishing much.

You have enough values. Either color it in, or keep it B&W, but finish it. Blend your transisions, add your highest constrast highlights and shadows, and put a fork in this, it's past done.

Also, don't expect speedpaints to help your skills. You need to have your technical skills foundation already beneath you, otherwise you will just waste valuable learning time doodling. If that is what you need to help you then buckle down and seriously study and practice, kewlness. Just don't think that playing around with Speedpaints will teach you anything.

~C

[korthuran]

I'm looking at it and you're right. I could feel it when I was working on it but I needed somebody to just say it. It no longer looks or feels like the sketch.

I'll keep the current version in case I want to come back to it sometime but for now when I get home I'll start at square one in Photoshop. Give myself two hours. One for values one for color, and that's it. If I'm going to learn I can't spend all my time on one piece. I'm putting the cart before the horse and wanting to paint a masterpiece when I should be focused on learning gestures.

Thanks for some of the nontechnical advice. I'm not one of those young artists out just for "kewlness". If I'm going to get a piece put in the Choice galleries (a little personal goal) then I've got a lot of work ahead of me. Getting organized and developing a workflow in a new medium takes time. It helps when people don't beat around the bush. It's much appreciated.

[CybrGfx]

I'm looking at it and you're right. I could feel it when I was working on it but I needed somebody to just say it. It no longer looks or feels like the sketch.My only claim to fame is having a good eye and being outspoken enough to tell you what I see...;)I'll keep the current version in case I want to come back to it sometime but for now when I get home I'll start at square one in Photoshop. Give myself two hours. One for values one for color, and that's it. If I'm going to learn I can't spend all my time on one piece. I'm putting the cart before the horse and wanting to paint a masterpiece when I should be focused on learning gestures.Good decisions. You lose enthusiasm every time you have to return to a work past an initial period. The masterpieces will come when the time is right, if you do the PREP WORK of honing your technical skills and eye-hand coordination now.

DRAW WITH LAYERS, so that when you save works, you truly save all the versions.
Every so often, duplicate the layer you are working on (NAME them, if only 1, 2, etc.), and that way, you can also revert to an earlier iteration if you need to make changes. (If you get into digital art, you will eventually learn to save everything on separate layers...BOY does it make the files HUGE, but very flexible to fix and correct mistakes)Thanks for some of the nontechnical advice. I'm not one of those young artists out just for "kewlness". If I'm going to get a piece put in the Choice galleries (a little personal goal) then I've got a lot of work ahead of me. Getting organized and developing a workflow in a new medium takes time. It helps when people don't beat around the bush. It's much appreciated.You are most welcome. When you confirmed that it was Audrey Hepburn, it did kinda date you...lol! Yeah, yeah, she's a "classic" beauty...No argument, but it still dates ya. (Of course, my recognizing it as Audrey is PURELY due to my total sum knowledge of the Universe...lolol!)You'll be fine. Start your own 2-hour Speedpaint thread in the Speedpaints and Sketchbooks sub forum, and post your 2-hour efforts there. It will provide a contained collection of them all to better show your progress.

Enjoy!
~C

[korthuran]

It has been a while since highschool but I won't count myself among the wise and experienced for a little while yet. Even then I don't know if I'll make the wise group. Maybe just the experienced. Anyway, maybe I just have much better taste than others of my generation. ;)

Truthfully I chose her because my girlfriend loves her movies and I thought she would like it. It didn't hurt that she has a timeless quality to her face. I figured if I could make somebody recognize a great celebrity from the past then I was at least on the right track. And if I got it wrong I would hear no end of it from my girlfriend. A little extra motivation never hurts.

Thanks again for the practical advice. I forgot my tablet or I'd already be putting it to use. I didn't even notice the speedpaint/sketchbook section until just recently. I always miss subforums. I'll definately put that to good use.

[korthuran]

Gonna finish this one up then start my sketchbook

Starting from square one. One hour to shading.

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/7702/hepburnrevision02ys6.jpg

Up next one hour to color.

[korthuran]

Well here's an hour of color.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4319/hepburnrevision05qf1.jpg

Needs a lot more work obviously but it's probably time to move on and start my sketch thread.

Comments/crits welcome.

[CybrGfx]

Workflow tip:

Paint BOTH eyes, so if you stop the image after an hour (or two, or a half dozen or so), it will look more "complete." Always imagine that the image will be hung on a wall at the end of the time limit. It will help you "step back" with more of an overview...

~C

[korthuran]

Yeah, seems pretty obvious now that you mention it.

Well time to move on to the sketchbook subforum. Thanks for all the pointers. I'm sure I'll see you there too. :)

[CybrGfx]

Dammit, that was supposed to be a not-so-subtle hint...

You CANNOT leave poor Audrey with only one eye looking at us for eternity...True, she's having a bad hair day, but just one eye? C'mon, man! Do the right thing!

~C

[korthuran]

Ha, :) I'll do that then when I get home.

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